Gaiting device for horses.



- tached pulleys of my gaiting device, together EUGENE A. HYDE, OF NEWBRITAIN, CONNECTICUT.

GAITING DEVICE FOR HORSES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 10, 1907-;

Application filed January 22' 1907- Serial No. 3531546.

To all whomzit may concern:

Be itjknown that I, EUGENE A. HYDE, a citizen of the United States,residing at New Britain, in the county of Hartford. and State ofConnecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in aGaiting Device for Horses, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to gaiting devices for horses, and the objects ofmy improvements are simplicity and economy in construction andconvenience and efficiency in use, with particular reference tocompelling the horse to travel wide or open gaited with its hind legs;reference to preventing the horse from interfering, scalping,overreaching, and hitching and reference to compelling the horse to trotor pace s uare.

n the accompanying drawing :Figure 1 is a plan view of the metal frameand atwith a portion of the rope that is used in connection therewith.Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectionof the same on the line 00 a; of Fig. 2, with the roller and itstrunnionsor pin in elevation. Fig. 4 is a transverse section of the saidframe on the line y y of Fig. 2, the bolt and balls for the pulley beingin elevation. Fig. 5 is a front elevation of the complete device readyto be applied to a harness and horse.

The plates A, and B, are thin plates of any suitable stifl'ness,suitably spaced and held together at their middle by means of theconnecting and spacing piece 6 and the tie 7 to which the said platesare secured in any proper manner, as for example by rivets or screws.The said piece 6 and tie 7 are per forated so as to form suitablebearings for the pin or axle 8 of the roller 9, the said roller beingset closer to the upper plate A than it is to lower plate B so astoleave a rope space underneath the roller 9. Between the two platesnear their ends, I secure the pulleys 10 which are adjustably mounted bymeans of the bolt or axle 11 and nut 12 in slots 13 of the plates, sothat the distance between the two pulleys may be varied at pleasure byloosening the nuts 12 and moving the pulleys to or from each other, thebolts sli ping along in the said slots. The end pulleys andbolts serveto properly space and hold the plates at each 1 end. The plates A, B,are curved from end l to end as best shown in Fig. 2, on a curve of alittle greater radius than a belly band would have when buckled under anordinary sized horse. The plates are preferably of about the samedistance apart from end to end although it is only necessary that thereshall be suitable pulley and rope space between them. I also prefer toform a series of perforations in the edges of the plates A, B, for

, convenience of covering the said parts with leather.

The particular construction of the roller and pulleys and manner ofmounting them between the plates A, and B, is not essential to myinvention, although it is very desirable and practically essential thatsome means shall be provided for adjusting the end pulleys to andfromeach other on the lates A, B. Such adjustment is provided for by theslotted plates and bolts. I prefer to provide the end pulleys withanti-friction balls 14, running in a suitable race formed by therecessed pulley 10 and. a collar or sleeve 15 on the bolt 1.1, as shownin Fig. 1.

The metal parts heirinbefore described are secured in any suitablemanner to the middle portion of any ordinary belly band 16, having theusual buckles 17 or equivalent fastening devices for connecting it withthe straps that depend from the harness saddle. These metal parts are sosecured to the said band. 16 that a line from pulley t0 pulley extendslongitudinally to the said band. It is preferable to cover the metalplates A, B, with leather, and this may be done by means of a top strap15 on the concave side of theupper plate A and a bottom strap 19 underthe lower plate B, both straps being longer than the plates A, B, andsewed or riveted together where they project beyond the ends of the saidplates. A filling piece 20 of leather may be sewed in between the topand bottom. straps to cover the edges of the metal as shown for thefront edge in Fig. 5, although it is necessary to leave rope spaces atthe rear edge which may readily be provided by cutting away portions ofthe leather filling piece. The belly band may be properly secured to theother parts by sewing or riveting it to the middle portion of the topstrap 18 on the concave side of the frame. The metal parts together withthe straps by which they are covered are in the nature of a second bellyband or thelower member. of a double band and are provided with buckles21 and shaft straps 22 to secure the same to the shafts or thills in theordinary manner of securing a second or double belly band thereto. ingdevice to be connected with the horse and shafts by merely substitutingit for the ness and hitching up the horse in the ordinary manner.

A rope or strap 23 has its middle portion around the front of thepulleys 10 and under the roller 9, with its ends extending to the rear,which ends by means of suitable straps or devices not shown may beconnected with the respective hind legs of a horse above the hocks,whereby the right leg must necessarily move forward. as the left legmoves backward and vice versa. By adjusting the pulleys 10 in the frameand securing them at a greater or less distance from each other, thetravel of the horse may be regulated as may be desired.

By my improvement the device is mounted in the rear of the horses forelegs with the pulleys spread laterally to accommodate the spread of thehorses hind legs. The device is simple in construction and can beapplied to an ordinary harness for hitching up the horse in the usualmanner and when applied is not strikingly noticeable or unsightly. Byhaving the laterally spread. pulleys in the This construction enablesthe gaitfastening devices, one at each end, for connectmg the said bandwith the straps that depend from a harness saddle, with a pulley framesecured by its middle portion to the e i middle portion of the said.belly band, and usual double belly band of an ordinary hartwo pul eysmounted on the said. frame with one of the said pulleys at or near eachof the respective ends of the said frame and in a line that extendslongitudinally to the said band.

2. In gaiting devices for horses, a pulley frame, pulleys at each end ofthe said frame, means for adjusting the said. pulleys to and i from eachother and a harness belly band secured by its middle portion to themiddle portion of the said pulley frame.

3. In galting devices for horses, a pulley 1 frame carrying pulleys ator near each end,

ends of the said pulley frame to convert the said frame into the lowerrear of the horses fore le 's the )ulle s may be set nearer together orfarther apart as may be desired, to vary the spread of the horses hindlegs. All of the functions or results in regulating the speed of horsesthat may be attained by connecting the horses hind legs by a ropepassing around pulleys, can be attained by my gaiting device.

I claim as my invention:

1. Ina gaiting device for horses, the combination of a harness bellyband having part of a double belly band.

4. In gaiting devices for horses, a pulley frame having curved platesand middle connecting pieces, a middle roller with rope spaceunderneath, and a pulley and pulley sup port at each end of the saidplates.

5. In gaiting devices for horses, curved plates secured. together toconstitute a pulley frame, the said plates being slotted at each end,pulleys and pulley axles adjustably mounted in the slotted ends of thesaid plates.

EUGEN 1 A. ll Y DE.

Witnesses 1 JAMES SHEPARD, SHEFFIELD H. CLARKE.

